Shiley donates $3M to Masterpiece, KPBS

San Diego philanthropist Darlene Shiley is donating $3 million to the Masterpiece Trust, a gift that will also benefit local public broadcasting station KPBS.

The donation marks the fourth -- and largest -- gift that Shiley has made to the trust. Her contribution, which will be shared between Masterpiece Trust and KPBS, was made on behalf of herself and her late husband, heart-valve inventor Donald Shiley.

To date, Shiley's gifts to the trust, which was established in 2011, total more than $5.2 million. The trust is a fundraising collaboration among PBS stations across the country and WGBH, where the Masterpiece series is produced and distributed. Since its inception, it has raised nearly $10 million.

“My husband and I always took great satisfaction in supporting KPBS and its programs such as Masterpiece,” said Shiley, a KPBS supporter for more than 30 years. “Our lives were enriched by these wonderful stories, and I am just delighted that our support helps keep the very best drama on American television.”

KPBS said it plans to use its share of the latest Shiley gift to support programming devoted to local news, arts, science, and culture.